1. Human activities are a major source of threat to marine ecosystems. Solutions thus require changes to or cessation of those activities in addition to multiple restorative and conservation effortsall of which, in turn, require public support for success. However, scientific understanding of threats to marine ecosystems has not paralleled public understanding of those threats in many jurisdictions. Highly complex, interwoven, distant, vulnerable to multiple stressors, and hosting biota that are biologically unfamiliar to people, marine ecosystems present unique communication challenges. 2. The merits of effective communication capable of motivating behavioural change, policy action and support for marine conservation are often emphasized. To date, however, environmental communication, as a field, has largely focused on terrestrial ecosystems and more recently on climate change, leaving research-informed marine conservation communication neglected. 3. Adding to the small compilation of marine conservation communication literature, this integrative review provides a new understanding of how six message frames (emotional, problem/solution, outcome, value-based, distance, and social norm) can interactively help enhance the effectuality of conservation messages. Insights from the framing-related literature are merged with those from relevant fields including the theoretical literature, and the behavioural, social, and environmental sciences to define concepts, provide examples and explain the relevance of the six identified frames. The potential strength of these frames are discussed and suggestions on how they might be used to communicate different marine conservation issues are provided.
Considering the nascent stage of marine conservation communication, little is understood about how best to communicate complex issues, such as ocean acidification (OA), that are remote and invisible. Despite accumulating evidence of OA’s adverse effects on marine ecosystems and biota and subsequent consequences for human societies, it remains obscure to a majority of the public.
This study compared two language styles (narrative and expository) to determine which was more effective for communicating OA to diverse audiences. The two language styles were scripted and presented in YouTube videos, with identical visuals, message contents and message frames identified as potentially effective for environmental and marine conservation communication.
In an online experiment, 183 respondents were randomly assigned to view one of three videos (narrative, expository, control). Although the literature suggested the value of narrative‐based conservation communication, findings suggest that expository language was comparably effective for increasing awareness and motivation. Nevertheless, there were some indications that story‐like narratives may better enhance motivation. This study also strengthens the argument for careful selection of frames to enhance the effectiveness of marine conservation communication.
1. The ocean's remoteness, ecological complexities, lengthy ecosystem processes, and vulnerability to multiple and cumulative anthropogenic threats make marine conservation communication particularly difficult. Both scientists and journalists face unique challenges in explaining the science of these often out-of-sight
Using negative binomial regression, we tested the relationships between political violence and media messages of blame across five distinct publications in Northern Ireland, publications that varied by ideology/identity and structure over a period of 4.5 years during the peace process. While controlling for previous violence, we found reciprocal relationships, suggesting that violent acts correlated with a rise in blame in mass media and that blame in some mass media correlated with escalating violence in what appears to be a cycle. Not surprisingly, violent acts also led to subsequent violent acts.
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